Report: Radio host Rush Limbaugh taken to Hawaii hospital during island vacation

Report: Rush Limbaugh taken to Hawaii hospital

HONOLULU — Conservative radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh was taken to a hospital with chest pains on Wednesday and was in serious condition, a Honolulu television station reported.

Paramedics responded to a call at 2:41 p.m. from the Kahala Hotel and Resort where Limbaugh is vacationing, KITV reported. The station, citing unnamed sources, said the 58-year-old Limbaugh was taken to The Queens Medical Center in Honolulu.

Kit Carson, Limbaugh’s chief of staff, told The Associated Press from Milwaukee that he wasn’t able to provide any information.

Queens spokeswoman N. Makana Shook said the hospital was unable to comment on the report.

Emergency Medical Services spokesman Bryan Cheplic said paramedics took a male of unknown age to an area hospital from the Kahala Hotel and Resort. He said he had no further information.

Limbaugh was seen golfing at Waialae Country Club earlier this week, KITV said. The country club is next to the Kahala hotel.

For privacy reasons, hotel spokeswoman Sheila Donnelly Theroux said she was unable to acknowledge the name of any guests.

As recently as November 2009, Americans said in a poll that Limbaugh was America’s most influential conservative voice. His three-hour weekday show is heard on some 600 radio stations across the country, and more than 14 million people listen to him at least once a week.

With his sarcastic putdowns of liberal policies, off-color parodies and bombastic self-promotion, he began capturing conservative listeners in the 1980s and grew to become the highest-rated radio broadcaster in the U.S. Recently, he’s found a renewed purpose and has boosted ratings by railing against the candidacy and presidency of Barack Obama.

In 2001, Limbaugh reported he had lost most of his hearing due to an autoimmune inner-ear disease. He had surgery to have an electronic device placed in his skull to restore his hearing.

Two years later Limbaugh acknowledged he was addicted to pain medicine. He blamed the addiction on severe back pain, and took a five-week leave from his radio show to enter rehab.

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On the Net:

Rush Limbaugh: www.rushlimbaugh.com/